Decades of progress on creation of circuits have been based on printed traces of conductor, usually on layered substrates, as so-called “printed circuits.” These traces act as substitutes for wires, combining discrete electronic components, and or function, on occasion, as components themselves. Inherent in this progress has been the quest for closer positioning of these traces to one another, either vertically and/or horizontally, so as to enable use of smaller components (that is, for example, surface mount components) and or integrated circuits as components, to be utilized in smaller areas, and/or combine more circuitry in a fixed area.
The downside of this progress has been the relative placement of these traces themselves. Such close placement of traces produces a coupling effect of a capacitive nature that is usually accommodated in the actual construction of the overall circuit. However adjacent traces also have differential AC/RF voltages, and these voltages will attempt to drive current charges between and to the adjacent traces. In addition it will be noted that when diverse metals are used such as solder on copper traces, and these traces are closely spaced one another, the galvanic voltage difference from the metals will also drive charges from one trace to an adjacent trace. With these galvanically-different metals the proximity of air will cause oxidation of the metals, from one trace to an adjacent one. This oxidation and subsequent shorting of the traces is highly deleterious to the circuit and is considered a profound failure mode. This voltage driven oxidation process and shorting is a manifestation of corrosion and is an inherent property of galvanically-different metals, and/or voltages on metals, in the presence of air.
The seriousness of such corrosion on circuit boards is mitigated by the use of various coatings acting as insulators and trying to prevent the oxidation. However such coatings do break down with time and UV exposure. Thus this corrosion dominated shorting of traces on circuit boards and the like is a major problem that requires new approaches for solutions.
What is needed is an additional means to deter such corrosion and trace shorting, so disclosed in the present invention.